


Just a Little Drunk On You

by kotokei



Series: K Rarepair Week 2017 Fics [1]
Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Bandou's an idiot, ChitoDewa are minor characters, Getting Together, Shouhei's in love, What else is new, alternatively titled how to mess up confessing and get the guy of your dreams anyways, feat vague gender headcanons (more about that in the author's note at the end), hopefully at least slightly a romcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9574940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotokei/pseuds/kotokei
Summary: Akagi Shouhei falls in love twice with Bandou Saburouta. The second time, he actually does something about it, but only after he's had a few drinks to whittle down his considerable patience, and only after Bandou's been complaining for the umpteenth time about being unlucky in love.





	

Shouhei is six when he gets his first crush, falling head over heels for the boy who helps him out of the river, for the boy who takes his hand and pulls him to safety. He doesn't quite know what it is at that age, but whenever he sees Saburouta's black hair and cute face, whenever he hears the other's voice, his heart feels lighter and the day seems brighter, somehow.

He even has a special nickname for Bandou. No one else calls his friend "San-chan" (Bandou wouldn't allow it), and Akagi starts feeling happy just saying it. It's something about Saburouta (a name that San-chan chose for himself, which is _so cool_ ) that is unique to him and him alone.

It hurts to move away, but eventually he gets over this first crush on special, amazing Bandou Saburouta, the black-haired kid becoming only a fond memory.

And then, years later, Bandou comes back into his life (well, it's more like he accidentally intrudes into Saburouta's), and soon after that, helps him all over again.

* * *

 Shouhei falls in love all over again with the most contradictory person he's ever met.

(He finds it endearing and at times, impressive, that Saburouta will boast about the littlest of things or claim to be more than he is in search of respect, and yet will turn around and be humble about truly amazing and selfless feats, deflecting praise and awe.)

Unfortunately for him, Bandou doesn't seem interested in a relationship with him at all. If the bespectacled man isn't complaining about his lack of a girlfriend or his general lack of popularity with girls, he's reminding Shouhei of his seniority in HOMRA, of how much he sees Akagi as an annoying little kouhai.

He tries his best not to mind how little of a chance he has with the person he loves most and keeps how much he cares for Bandou, as a friend and otherwise, in the forefront of his mind instead.

It's with this in mind that Shouhei keeps inviting his crush to parties, to outings, to opportunities for the older to find the girlfriend of his own dreams. This seems to be the only quality about Akagi that Saburouta really appreciates, and that hurts, but ultimately, if he contributes to helping his crush, then.......

'I just want you to be happy,' he thinks one day when Bandou happens to be sulking at him about something or another after having had a few too many drinks, the words on the tip of his tongue. The subject of his thoughts breaks eye contact, however, and the moment is gone, so he swallows them back and smiles instead, switching easily enough to trying to persuade Saburouta that more drinks are a _bad_  idea.

* * *

 This kind of thing (Bandou having one too many drinks and whining about how he'll never find love, never find someone who'll want to be with him and take care of him and let him love them in turn to a barely-able-to-stand-it Shouhei) starts happening more and more as the months go by without luck on the romance front, especially once formerly single buddy Chitose finally, finally works things out with Dewa.

It's during one of these moments, while Bandou's complaining dolefully about his lack of a love life, about how much he wants to find a girl who'll love him that Shouhei finally, completely, absolutely cannot handle it anymore.

(To his credit, it takes him a quite a few months and quite a few drinks to snap.)

Akagi leans (lurches) forward and then has to correct his balance hurriedly, not quite having intended to move so far up into Bandou's space, though not particularly _not_  enjoying the proximity. Saburouta reacts almost immediately, only slightly delayed by the number of drinks he's had himself, "What are you---?!"

Shouhei grabs him by the collar, pausing only to steal away the sunglasses, because if he's going to do this, he's going to be looking at Saburouta's eyes, not the indecipherable black of his eye-wear. "No! I have...I have something I need to tell you, because I've been trying all this time and you've never noticed and that's okay but you keep saying all this stuff and you're wrong!"

He takes a breath and continues, chest suddenly tighter than it was just a few moments ago (vaguely aware that Kusanagi has retreated suddenly into the back of the bar, while Dewa has started herding the others outside).

"You keep saying that no one will ever love you, but that's not true! I've liked...loved...you since we were kids, and yes, in that way! I want to take care of you and be by your side and I want to make you lunch and dinner and I want to hold hands and cuddle with you and k-kiss you and I want to do all those things you said no one would ever want to do with you, over and over, all the time! Because I love you! So it hurts to hear you talk about girls to me and it hurts to try to set you up but I still did all that because I just want you to be happy," he's panting slightly when he finishes the tiny rant, still holding onto Saburouta's collar.

Bandou's mouth opens and closes a few times without making any noise, face steadily turning redder and redder, the blush spreading to his ears and down his neck. Without the sunglasses, his shock and surprise are even clearer. Shouhei's almost distracted by how pretty his eyes are, especially this close, but he's starting to realize what he's done and the dread and regret is starting to kick in.

He lets go of the stock-still Saburouta's collar, nervously resettling the older's sunglasses on his face with a mumbled "sorry" for taking them in the first place (and, to some extent, the confession. This isn't how he had hoped to let the other know about his feelings, if at all).

When there's nothing but a heavy, awkward silence for a few moments, Shouhei swallows down the lump in his throat and turns away, reaching for his phone to maybe ask one of the others waiting outside to take him home. There's the distinct, telltale feeling of tears starting to form, and he bites his lip, carefully not looking at Saburouta anymore.

A hand closes over his just before he can actually complete the call.

He looks up.

Bandou seems as surprised as Shouhei that he reached out, but fumbles onwards anyways, "Wait! What was all of that? Did you mean it? You weren't just saying it to make me feel better? Do you really like me i-in that way?"

Before Shouhei can actually say anything, Saburouta starts rambling "because it's not like I never thought about it but you're just way out of my league so I never really _really_  thought about it because you're good at everything and you're cute and you're actually a really good person and you're nice and sweet and you can read the mood and you're likable and stuff so what the hell, you could do better. I-I mean, not that I'm not great and unpopular or anything, but. You're. You're _you_."

"Did...you just reject me by saying I'm too good for you...?" Akagi wonders if he looks as confused as he feels.

"H-hold on, it's not a rejection yet!" Bandou flails a little, panicky.

"Yet...?"

"Well...well, look, okay, I don't...not...want to date you," Saburouta offers weakly, jamming his noticeably fidgety hands into his pockets and then taking them out again, looking like he has no idea where to put them.

"What does that mean?" This is the longest reaction to a confession he's ever seen (granted, this is the only confession he has ever offered, and it's not like many people have gotten together in front of him, but still).

"It means that. It means that if this isn't a joke or something, then I'm okay with trying the. T-the dating thing. With. With you," Bandou's face turns redder again, just at the thought.

"It's definitely not a joke! So..." Shouhei's starting to smile again, he can feel it (a little in disbelief - he can't believe things seem to be turning out better than he ever could have hoped). "So we're boyfriends now?"

Saburouta only gets redder at the term, but he nods quickly, jerkily, "y-yeah. B-b-b-b-oyfriends." Despite the shakiness of his words, Bandou is starting to smile earnestly at the thought too, and it makes Shouhei feel downright giddy.

That's when he looks down.

"Oh! ....Oh." Saburouta looks nervous.

"What kind of 'oh' is that? Did something already happen?" Shouhei blushes, fumbling, "Ah, no, it wasn't...um. Well, you see...I guess when you grabbed my hand, it hit 'call' on the phone...? Oh, but at some point, they hung up..."

"I...they..." Bandou's look of anxiousness has morphed into a faint look.

Shouhei rubs his cheek sheepishly before texting Dewa "it's okay to come back in!" in response to their "tell us when" and the door opens promptly, the rest of HOMRA trooping in.

"Uh...so...how much did you hear?" Akagi asks, fiddling a little with his phone like it'll distract from the shade of red he's turned, in contrast to the pallor of Bandou's face. Chitose groans, "Not enough. They shut it off once they realized you weren't actually talking to them."

"Yes, because some of us understand the concept of privacy," Dewa's tone is prim before it turns exasperated, "so please stop looking like you're about to die, Bandou."

Their words seem to revive Saburouta, who makes to shove at Chitose before grabbing his new boyfriend's (boyfriend! He can still hardly believe it, much less that he's dating _Shouhei_  now) hand, this time careful not to touch the phone, and leading him out.

"W-we're going now, S-Shouhei! Shut up, Chitose!"

Akagi smiles brightly as he's pulled away from the bar, waving cheerfully to the others, catching Dewa stopping Chitose from catcalling more by kissing him (apparently, it's been easier to keep the chestnut-haired male in line ever since the two started dating).

Dating.

Just like San-chan and him now.

His smile can't possibly get any wider, but Shouhei laughs in quiet exhilaration before reversing their positions, quickening his pace enough to start pulling Bandou along into a light jog.

They've got an entire future to run towards together now, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Starting the rarepair week off with a little AkaBan and ChitoDewa, since I'm...HOMRA alphabet kids trash. I've never written romance, and I haven't written anything at all in a while, so thank you for bearing with me. u v u 
> 
> On gender: I happen to headcanon Dewa as nonbinary, which is why it was perhaps noticeable that I used "they" and not "he", although I do think they would use "he" as well (in fact, my headcanon for Shouhei is also nonbinary, but he uses "he" all the time). If anyone wants to know the specifics, I would be happy to expand on these, but I tend to be vague to allow space for others' headcanons. 
> 
> And yes, there was a split second allusion to Bandou being a trans guy. 
> 
> I actually have another fic for today, so! Be back soon. :)


End file.
